Animal amusement and exercising device

ABSTRACT

An animal amusement and exercise device comprises an annular body having spaced apart, overlying flanges forming a laterally open, endless track for the accommodation of a freely rotatable ball. The body defines a cavity in which a compressible pad of material removably may be accommodated. Each of the devices includes connectors for removably coupling such device with another like device in vertically stacked relation. The track of each device is accessible from outside each device thereby enabling one or more animals to have access to all of the tracks.

This invention relates to a device that is especially adapted to amuseand provide exercise for an animal such as a domestic cat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Devices for amusing and exercising domestic animals such as cats are inwide usage. Many of the known devices include endless tracks along whicha ball may be propelled by a cat and a pad of material which the cat mayclaw. Some of the known devices have a ball-accommodating track whichopens toward the interior of the device, whereas others have such tracksopening upwardly. In either case the stacking of one device upon anotherprevents access to visibility of more than a single track.

Many households have more than one cat. Since more than one cat may wishto use the device at the same time, it is desirable to provide stackabledevices which will enable each cat to have access to a different trackso as to propel the ball therein independently of the other cat or cats.However, in those instances in which the pet owner does not desire morethan one device, it is desirable to provide a device which offers noobstruction to the free use of the device by a single cat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An animal amusement and exercise device constructed in accordance withthe invention comprises an upstanding, annular wall defining a circularbody having an open top and bottom cavity for the accommodation of acompressible pad of shreddable material. The bottom of the annular wallis joined to an outwardly extending flange which terminates at its outerend in an upwardly and outwardly inclined lip. A second flange is joinedto the upper edge of the annular wall and extends both outwardly andinwardly beyond the wall. The inner edge of the upper flange overliesand provides a stop for the pad of material, whereas the outer edge ofthe upper flange overlies a portion of the lower flange and forms anendless track for the accommodation of a spherical ball. The spacebetween the outer edge of the upper flange and the free edge of the lipis less than the diameter of the ball, but either or both of the upperflange and the lip are sufficiently flexible to enable the ball to bemoved into and out of the track.

The device includes sockets carried by the annular wall and projectinginwardly of the cavity so as to compress the adjacent portions of thepad to assist in holding the latter in place. Each socket also mayaccommodate the stem of an upstanding connector, the opposite end ofwhich terminates in a fork which may be used to support and embrace thesocket of a second device which is stacked upon the lower device.

Since the track of each device is accessible from the exterior of eachbody, a plurality of cats may have access to each of a plurality ofballs in the corresponding plurality of tracks, thereby providingamusement and exercise to one or more cats.

THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a single device and illustrating inphantom lines a cat lying atop the device and propelling a ball along atrack;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1, with the pad shownonly fragmentarily;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view showing three like devices stacked oneupon another;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 4;and

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a connector.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

An amusement and exercise device constructed in accordance with theinvention is designated generally by the reference character 1 formed ofa suitable plastic material having some resiliency and flexibility. Thedevice comprises an upstanding, annular wall 2 defining a circularcavity 3 open at both its top and bottom. The lower end of the wall 2 isjoined to an outwardly extending flange 4 which terminates at its outerend in an upwardly and outwardly inclined lip 5. The upper end of thewall 2 terminates in an outwardly extending projection 6.

Connected to the wall 2 at its upper end is an upper flange 7 having adepending, L-shaped retainer member 8 which, together with theprojection 6, provides means for removably securing the flange 7 to thewall 2. The flange 7 has an inner edge 9 which overlies the peripheraledge of the cavity 3 and an outer edge 10 which overlies and is spacedfrom the lower flange 4. The spacing between the flanges 4 and 7 issufficient to accommodate freely a spherical ball 11 in a track 12defined by the wall 2, the flanges 4 and 7, and the lip 5. The diameterof the ball 11 is slightly greater than the spacing between the freeedges of the flange 7 and the lip 5, but either or both of the flangeand lip are sufficiently flexible, as is indicated in chain lines inFIG. 3, to enable the ball to deflect the flange or lip and move intoand out of the track 12.

Removably accommodated in the cavity 3 is a yieldably compressive pad 13of shreddable material such as corrugated paper. The height of the pad13 preferably corresponds to the height of the cavity, thereby providinga relatively thick pad. The pad is intended to be shredded by the clawsof a cat. Since corrugated paper is relatively porous a thin,imperforate membrane 14 of paper or other suitable material is adheredto the bottom of the pad 13 so as to prevent shredded particles frompassing through the pad 13 and out the bottom of the cavity.

The device 1 is intended to be stackable with like devices. To enableattainment of this objective one or more sockets 15 are secured to theinner surface of the wall 2 so as to project into the cavity 3. Eachsocket is defined by a side wall 16 and a bottom wall 17, but is open atits upper end. Preferably, the upper end of the socket terminates shortof the upper end of the wall 2. As is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, theprojection of each of the sockets into the cavity 3 causes thoseportions of the pad 13 adjacent the sockets to be compressed. Thecompression of the pad by the sockets prevents relative rotation of thepad and the housing and, in addition, applies a frictional force on thepad to restrain its falling out of the cavity 3 through the bottomthereof.

Coupling means is provided for securing two adjacent devices 1 instacked relation one upon another. The coupling means comprises thesocket 15 and a connector 18 having at its lower end a stem 19 that isadapted for removable accommodation in a socket. The stem 19 is joinedto a fork 20 having two limbs 21 spaced from one another a distancesufficient to accommodate the socket 15 of the upper device 1therebetween as is shown in FIG. 5. Between the limbs 21 is a base 22 onwhich the bottom wall 17 of the socket 15 may rest. Since the inner edge9 of the flange 7 overlies the peripheral edge of the cavity 3, the stem19 is offset from the fork 20 so as to provide a shoulder 23 which mayrest upon the upper surface of the flange 7.

A single device 1 may be used to amuse and exercise a cat shown in chainlines in FIG. 1 or a plurality of devices may be stacked one uponanother as is shown in FIG. 5. In either instance, a pad 13 will beaccessible to a cat and the ball occupying each track also will beaccessible to one or more cats.

Among the advantages of the construction is that, even though a cat maylie upon the pad 13 of the single or uppermost device 1, the ball in theassociated track not only will be accessible to the cat, but also may beseen by the cat inasmuch as the upper flange 7 terminates short of thelower flange 4 and the lip 5.

Another advantage of the disclosed construction is that a cat may lieupon the pad 13 of the single or uppermost device, as shown in FIG. 1,but no part of the cat, such as the tail or a paw, necessarily willextend into the track and obstruct movement of the ball therein. This isbecause each track opens laterally or transversely of the associateddevice, rather than upwardly.

The disclosed embodiment is representative of a presently preferred formof the invention, but is intended to be illustrative, rather thandefinitive thereof. The invention is defined in the claims.

I claim:
 1. An animal amusement and exercising device comprising a bodyhaving an upstanding annular wall having lower and upper ends; a lowerflange joined to and extending outwardly from the lower end of said walland terminating at its outer edge in an upturned lip member, said wall,said lower flange and said lip member together forming an endless,unobstructed track for the accommodation of a spherical ball; an upperflange member joined to and extending outwardly from the upper end ofsaid wall and substantially parallel to said lower flange, said upperflange member overlying said lower flange and having a width less thanthat of said lower flange so that said track extends outwardly beyondsaid upper flange member; and coupling means carried by said wall forenabling said body to be stacked and removably secured with a like body.2. A device according to claim 1 including a spherical ball in saidtrack and wherein said upper flange member and said lip member havemarginal edges spaced from one another a distance less than the diameterof said ball.
 3. A device according to claim 2 wherein at least one ofsaid flange and lip members is sufficiently flexible to enable movementof said ball through the space therebetween.
 4. A device according toclaim 1 wherein said body has a cavity formed by said wall.
 5. A deviceaccording to claim 4 including a pad of shreddable, compressiblematerial removably occupying said cavity.
 6. A device according to claim4 wherein said upper flange member has a projection which extendsinwardly of said wall and partially overlies said cavity.
 7. A deviceaccording to claim 6 wherein said cavity has no bottom and including apad removably occupying said cavity and abutting said projection.
 8. Adevice according to claim 7 wherein said pad has a height correspondingsubstantially to that of said wall.
 9. A device according to claim 7wherein said pad has upper and lower surfaces and an imperforatemembrane secured to said lower surface.
 10. A device according to claim1 wherein said coupling means comprises at least one socket carried bysaid wall and a connector accommodated in said socket and extendingabove said wall for engagement with the socket of a like body supportedon said upper flange member.
 11. A device according to claim 10 whereinsaid socket is hollow and wherein said connector has at at least one endthereof a stem removably accommodated in said socket.
 12. A deviceaccording to claim 11 wherein said connector has at its other end a forkin which the socket of a like body removably may be accommodated.
 13. Adevice according to claim 1 wherein said wall has at its upper end alateral projection and wherein said upper flange member has an innerend, and a retainer at said inner end in which said lateral projectionis accommodated.
 14. A device according to claim 13 wherein said lateralprojection is removably accommodated in said retainer.
 15. An animalamusement and exercise device comprising an annular, upstanding walldefining a body having a cavity open at its top and bottom; a lowerflange secured to said wall at its lower end and extending outwardlytherefrom, said lower flange terminating at its outer edge in anupwardly and outwardly inclined lip member, said wall, said lowerflange, and said lip member together defining an endless track; aspherical ball rotatably accommodated in said track; an upper flangemember secured to said wall at its upper end and projecting bothoutwardly and inwardly of said cavity, said upper flange memberoverlying said lower flange and being spaced from said lower flange adistance greater than the diameter of said ball, said upper flangemember terminating short of said lip member to provide a space betweensaid members less than the diameter of said ball, at least one of saidupper flange and lip members being sufficiently flexible to enable saidball to flex said one of said members and pass through said space intoand out of said track; at least one socket carried by said wall withinsaid cavity; a pad of yieldably compressible material occupying saidcavity and being compressed laterally by said socket for retaining saidpad in said cavity; and coupling means carried by said socket forremovably coupling said device to a like device.
 16. The deviceaccording to claim 15 wherein said upper flange member and said wallhave cooperable means for separably joining said upper flange member tosaid wall.
 17. The device according to claim 15 wherein said couplingmeans comprises a connector having a stem at one end thereofaccommodated in said socket, said connector having its other endextending above said upper flange member for connection to the socket ofsaid like device.
 18. The device according to claim 17 wherein saidother end of said connector comprises a fork bearing upon and embracingthe socket of said like device.